The Baltimore Ravens will take on the New England Patriots in the AFC Championship game this Sunday. Ray Lewis and the Ravens are big underdogs, as they attempt to dethrone Tom Brady and the Patriots and represent the AFC in Super Bowl XLVII.

The AFC Championship Game will feature hundreds of proposition bets that are released for this big game. Prop bets ranging from the statistical to the silly will be open for wagering leading up to kickoff.

Flacco Looking for Respect

Ravens quarterback Joe Flacco is obviously going to take a back seat to Tom Brady in this game, but Flacco deserves some praise.

Flacco was on target with the deep ball against the Denver Broncos, and with that victory, he set a record by becoming the first quarterback to start and win a playoff game in his first five seasons.

Flacco outplayed Brady in this game a year ago and has only gotten better. The Patriots’ defense has improved since that meeting, but they still struggle against the pass, ranking near the bottom of all the teams in the playoffs against the pass.

Flacco will have another outstanding game throwing the ball and will easily eclipse this mark.

Although the Ravens’ passing game may thrive against the Patriots, their running game could struggle. Patriots coach Bill Belichick loves to take out the running game early and force the quarterback to throw into multiple looks with the hopes of forcing a turnover.The Patriots have a monster in the middle with Vince Wilfork, who will clog the middle lanes and force Rice to the outside. This will allow the Patriots to focus on Rice and shut him down.

It may be considered a bold prediction, but Ray Rice will run for less than 75.5 yards.

The Ravens’ defense is led by linebacker Ray Lewis, who will garner most of the attention in this meeting, but Terrell Suggs is primed to steal the show.Suggs had two sacks against the Broncos, and his hatred for quarterback Tom Brady is legendary. The smack-talking history (via Baltimore Sun) is what will motivate Suggs to put forth a monster effort in the AFC Championship Game.

Suggs had two tackles and three assists in the playoffs against the Patriots a season ago and will be active once again in this meeting.

Tom Brady is one of the best quarterbacks in the league, and he will be elected into the Hall of Fame as soon as he becomes eligible at the end of his career. When he reflects on what is sure to be a legendary career, he will try and forget about his matchups against the Ravens.In the AFC Championship a year ago, Brady tossed away two interceptions to include one late in the fourth quarter, which is very uncharacteristic of Brady. The Patriots up-tempo offense will provide more opportunities for Brady to throw interceptions.

Brady may be one of the best to ever play the game, but the Ravens know how to get into his head. Brady will have at least one interception against the Ravens in this game.

The Patriots offense has a new weapon this season, as Stevan Ridley has established himself as the teams go-to-guy on the ground. Ridley posted 82 yards a week ago against the Houston Texans defense, which is much stronger against the run than the Ravens.The Patriots can expose the slower, aging linebacker core of the Ravens by stretching run plays to the outside for the quicker Ridley. After being benched a year ago in the playoffs for fumbling, Ridley will want to make a statement.

That statement will come Sunday against the Ravens as he runs wild on the ground.

Ready for the Big Game?The Baltimore Ravens appear to be a team of destiny, as they ride a wave of emotion powered by the retirement of Ray Lewis.

The Patriots are loaded with experience and one of the best quarterback/coach combinations in all of football. Regardless of what team wins this game, it is sure to be one of the best football games of the week!